In spite of advances that have made today's digital cameras easy to use and relatively trouble-free, there are still drawbacks that can impede enjoyment of the picture-taking experience. Even with the most intuitive “point-and-shoot” digital cameras, the photographer is often more involved in the task of picture taking, rather than in enjoying an event as a participant. To a large degree, this has been the accepted norm; the picture-taker has a job to do and is, therefore, somewhat less involved in the action than are other participants. Another disadvantage of this arrangement relates to the response of participants at an event, who know that their picture is being taken and may respond less than naturally during the picture-taking session.
There have been a number of solutions proposed for freeing the picture taker, allowing the photographer to get out from behind the camera and become a part of the scene. The most familiar solutions range from delay timers that enable the photographer to hustle out from behind the camera once all settings and adjustments are made, to remotely controlled shutters and other devices. While solutions such as these can provide some measure of freedom to the photographer, a significant amount of attention and setup is still required for obtaining images at an event.
Remote camera activation has been used for applications such as industrial monitoring, espionage, and building security. Sound- or motion-actuated systems for image capture enable various types of events to be recorded, such as the entry or exit of personnel, movement of a person, animal, or object, etc. Webcam devices for remote monitoring may also capture images upon sensing noise, light, sound, or motion, such as from an infrared (IR) motion detector. Cameras for such systems are typically located in fixed positions and obtain image content in a known format. Event detection camera devices are described, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0080618 entitled “Smart Camera System” by Norris et al.
While remote camera activation for event picture-taking can utilize solutions that were developed for security and monitoring, however, there are a number of significant differences between the picture-taking environment for consumer imaging, capturing moments with family and friends, and the more mundane work of monitoring events at remote locations. Certainly, image quality, choice of subject, and timing are of key interest for consumer event photography and are relatively less important for remote monitoring. Mere camera activation with detection of movement or sound, although sufficient for remote industrial imaging, would not be likely to obtain pleasing images at a family event such as a birthday party or a holiday gathering with friends, for example.
Attempts to provide a more natural picture-taking experience include those outlined in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0012830 entitled “Autonomous Camera Having Exchangeable Behaviors” by Pilu. The '830 Pilu disclosure describes wearable cameras having a behavior memory, where the cameras are capable of detecting events or situations of interest by analyzing data from the object field. Similarly, a group at Hewlett-Packard Corp. has proposed an “always on camera” that records continuously and is supplemented with algorithms to sort through the huge volume of images obtained in order to help select the few good ones that might be worth preserving. One version, for example, fastens to the side of a pair of eyeglasses, which makes it usable to at least some portion of the population. While it may feel natural to have a camera obtruding from the side of one's head, however, it can be questioned whether or not one is likely to elicit natural and spontaneous behavior from those in the object field, whose images are being continuously captured. Moreover, wearable solutions do not bring the photographer into the picture, but simply change how the user aims the camera. Certainly, for many types of consumer imaging situations, the idea of attaching the camera to the photographer hardly seems consonant with the idea of “freeing” the photographer.
Thus, while the value of obtaining images automatically in a more natural and spontaneous manner is acknowledged, existing solutions fall short of what is needed, on one hand, to free the photographer from the image capture function and, on the other hand, to free the subject(s) from the psychological constraint of “having one's picture taken”. Existing solutions for continuous “bulk” imaging with a subsequent sorting-out process miss elements of excitement, spontaneity, and social interaction that characterize key moments that people want to capture and preserve.
Existing solutions involve the capture of either a still image or a video image when capturing a key moment. The ability to capture the entire moment including video before and after a moment as well as the still image would greatly increase context of the moment as well as increase the photographer's experience. Whereas, combined capture of video and still images has been described in International patent application WO2004/111971 A2 “Automatic Traffic Violation Monitoring and Reporting System with Combined Video and Still-Image Data” it is limited to use as evidence in traffic violations and furthermore requires the use of multiple video and still capture devices and multiple captured images. A single device capable of capturing the entire key moment that is usable by a consumer is needed to free the photographer from the image capture function.
Among problems not addressed or solved in existing solutions is the need to provide improved imaging where motion is involved. For example, it is difficult for the consumer photographer to capture an image of a soccer ball in motion, just before it is caught or missed by a goalie. For fast-moving action, consumer pictures tend to be delayed, due both to delay by the camera operator and inherent delay in the image capture timing itself, so that more interesting images can be missed, sometimes by a small fraction of a second. Subsequent editing of a video stream is one solution conventionally used to address this problem. However, it would be advantageous to have a method that allows high-speed event imaging and allows the photographer a greater degree of freedom and ease of use for obtaining an image.
Thus, it can be seen that innovative approaches are needed in order to provide a more satisfying picture-taking experience that is likely to obtain good pictures without constraining the photographer to the picture-taking task and without keeping the photographer out of the picture. For some situations, a workable autonomous camera solution should even be able to provide a workable substitute for a dedicated photographer at a group event. It would be advantageous to provide apparatus and methods for automatic or “autonomous” camera operation, well suited to the needs of the picture-taking consumer.